A Family for a Week

by Melissa Senate

  Sadie walked past her cabin, suddenly needing everyone in it to wrap her up in their support and love. Especially Izzy, who gave the best hugs and smelled like roses. But she kept going, also needing to brace herself for the conversation she was about to have.

  And for the end of her and Axel. Maybe not the fake them. But the real them who had never had a chance.

  * * *

  Axel saw Sadie sitting on the big flat rock on the creek’s bank, her back to him. The sight of her, even at quite a distance, caused a little stir in his chest. He was always happy to see Sadie. But he wasn’t looking forward to this conversation. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. To apologize for leaving her alone in his cabin this morning after the night they’d had, the most intimate physical experience two people could have.

  When he’d woken up, Sadie spooned against him, he’d relished the feel of her so close to him, a new day with the woman who’d turned his life upside down and all around. But the more he lay there, the more that air-seeping feeling started working its way into his lungs, and when he got Noah’s text, he’d felt relief. A reason to leave.

  This shouldn’t be complicated—he was making it complicated—but it was.

  “Hey,” he called out.

  She turned around and didn’t look too happy. She wore what she’d been wearing last night, and a barrage of memories hit him. Digging into that delicious pizza. Sharing the Dancing Alpacas wine. Watching The Princess Bride and shouting out lines of dialogue through most of it. Feeling so light and easy. Feeling so...close to her. So attracted. And the kiss, which had exploded into the best sex he’d ever had. More than just passionate.

  Because you feel more for this woman than you want to deal with?

  “Look,” she said, staying seated but facing him. “I’m going to be honest. I returned the buggy to the big barn and I happened to overhear your conversation with your sister. So everything you might want to say now? You already said it.”

  Oh hell. Punch to the gut.

  Dammit. A lot of what he’d said came back to him. Echoing in his head.

  Particularly: Who said anything about love?

  He grimaced. “Daisy has a way of making me feel like a cornered wolf when she gets on the topic of my love life.”

  “You told me your position on serious relationships the first night of the reunion. I guess I was hoping I might have changed your mind, that I was special enough, that I meant enough to you for that to happen.” She looked away, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her to him and hold her.

  “You are special to me, Sadie. You and Danny both. But I have to face up to why I left this morning. Yes, Noah asked for my help with the horses because the trainer needed the morning off. But I was relieved to have an excuse to leave.”

  She sucked in a breath and glared at him. “I already know that. No need to be this honest, Axel.”

  “I want to be honest because you do mean a lot to me. I wasn’t planning on falling for a guest this week, Sadie. I wasn’t planning on being fake-engaged. I wasn’t planning on sleeping with you. But it all happened. And I was a jerk this morning for leaving. I wanted to say that most of all.”

  She stood, her pale brown eyes flashing. “If you say you’re sorry I will push you in the creek, Axel Dawson.”

  He knew what she meant. She didn’t want to hear sorry or regrets.

  But he was sorry that he’d hurt her, that he was hurting her now.

  “We have a few more days to get through,” she said, arms crossed over her chest. “Let’s get through them. I’ll explain our lack of togetherness to my family by saying you’re very busy. If you wouldn’t mind showing up for my sister’s wedding Saturday night in the lodge, I would appreciate it. We’ll leave Sunday morning and that’ll be that.” Her voice was so tight, so clogged.

  He stared at her, feeling something in his chest shift. “Of course I’m coming to the wedding.”

  “Great,” she said. “We’ll get through that and then this whole fake nonsense will be over.”

  “Sadie. There was nothing fake about last night. Nothing.”

  She lifted her chin and didn’t say anything. “Well, I’d better get back. I miss Danny.”

  Me, too, he thought out of nowhere, but he did.

  Chapter Thirteen

  For the next two days, Sadie kept her and Danny booked with ranch activities so that she wouldn’t have a spare moment to think about her aching chest and how much she missed the sight of Axel. She had seen him at a distance twice, and both times had hurt. She hadn’t texted him and he hadn’t texted her. When she wasn’t learning how to ride a horse and taking Danny for butterfly-sighting walks along the creek and going to every educational talk about the animals in the petting zoo (she now knew that cows had four stomachs and that goats did not have front teeth on their upper jaws), she was helping Evie with her wedding checklists and making sure all was set for the big night.

  Everyone wanted to know “where that handsome fiancé of yours is,” including Danny, who kept asking for Zul.

  “Mama, Zul tay?” her son asked as they left the cafeteria after lunch, Danny holding his superhero lion.

  Toddler speak for Will I see Axel today? Sadie scooped Danny up in her arms. “Axel has been working super hard on the ranch but I think we’ll see him today.”

  Danny’s smile could turn any grump’s frown upside down. He looked so happy.

  Her heart clenched. On one hand, it wasn’t fair to Danny to suddenly pull Axel from his life. On the other, that was how it would be once they were home. But they weren’t home now, they were at the ranch and she should probably make the most of it for Danny and let him spend time with his hero. She put him on the ground and he flew his lion in the air, running in big circles.

  “Zul! Zul!” Danny suddenly shouted and went sprinting toward the alpaca enclosure.

  Sadie looked over. Oh, God, there he was. Looking incredibly sexy in dark jeans and the hunter green polo, a brown Stetson on his head.

  Just like the first day we arrived, she thought, when Danny went running for the man who’d saved him on Badger Mountain.

  Sadie slowly made her way closer, but not too close. She watched as Axel scooped up Danny in his arms and held him up high, giving him a big smooch on the cheek. Danny wrapped his arms around Axel’s neck.

  “Yoo-hoo! Sadie! Axel,” Sadie’s mom called, heading over with Aunt Tabby, Vanessa and Izzy in her wheelchair. Aunt Tabby and Viv had been somewhere between small talk and real conversation the past couple of days, ever since Tabby had opened up about having a date with Cowboy Joe. Tonight, they’d be going on their third date in three days.

  Sadie stepped closer. If she acted like she and Axel were having problems, which, of course, they were, her mother would pester her for details.

  “Listen, lovebirds, I have a great idea,” Viv said. “You two have barely seen each other the past two days! Why don’t you go into town and spend some time together? There’s a special scavenger hunt in the kid zone and I’ll bet Danny wants to find some secret treasure.”

  Danny nodded vigorously and attempted to say treasure. Viv plucked him right out of Axel’s arms.

  “Go ahead, we’ll take care of our little precious,” Viv said, kissing Danny on the head.

  Sadie tried to think of a few reasons why she couldn’t go anywhere with Axel but nothing good was coming to her. She could barely think straight with those piercing blue eyes on her.

  “I do need to go into town,” Axel said, staring at Sadie. “We can run an errand and stop for an early dinner. Maybe that fish and chips place.”

  What was this? Was he kidding?

  He looked dead serious. Oh, wait. He probably was planning to visit another address on the list from his dad and liked the idea of her coming along like the last two times. But Axel Dawson’s personal life had nothing to do with he
r. Not anymore. They were still pretending to be engaged but they were not pretending to be friends.

  “I, uh, thought I’d see if Evie needed any help with final wedding details,” Sadie said. There—perfect excuse. The wedding was the day after tomorrow. Sadie had been gearing up for having Axel as her date, since that was a given, and talking herself through how on earth she’d deal with that.

  “Actually, hon,” Viv said, “Evie texted a little while ago. She’s with her mother-in-law-to-be and grandmother-in-law-to-be today, picking up her dress and making sure the alterations are exact. Personally, I think I should have gone. I would have noticed if anything was even a smidge off!”

  No one disagreed with that assessment of her skills.

  “Oh,” Sadie said.

  Axel held out his arm. “Shall we go?”

  Uh, he didn’t have to go overboard, she thought, shooting him a surreptitious dagger.

  She gave Danny a kiss goodbye, waved to her relatives and then off they walked, her hand around his arm. Once they were out of hearing distance, she pulled away. “And what was that about?”

  “Just trying to keep up appearances, Sadie. Your mother is like a hawk. You heard her—she notices smidges.”

  Well, that was true. “I guess. But still. You didn’t need to give me your arm. This isn’t Regency England.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I’m glad the suggestion was made to spend time together. I’ve missed you, Sadie. I was hoping we could talk.”

  “Is there anything to say? I’m looking for a husband and father for my son. One who’s madly in love with Danny and with me. If that’s not you, then...”

  “Like I said the other day, Sadie, I didn’t expect to fall for you.”

  She stopped in her tracks. Those words of his—from when they’d met at the rock at the creek—had swirled around her mind these past two days. She’d been such a walking ball of heartache that she’d almost missed it in the moment.

  He’d fallen for her. He’d said it. And now he’d said it again.

  She’d sat with it the past couple of days, wanting to give him time and space to maybe figure things out. If he’d fallen for her, he’d have to accept it. He might not have wanted to, but he had, and you couldn’t stop a speeding train. And that was what love was. A locomotive.

  But then no text, no call, no asking to see her. If Danny hadn’t beelined for him just now, would he have asked to spend the afternoon with her in town? No, because he clearly hadn’t accepted it.

  “I’ve thought of little else but you and Danny these past two days. So many times I wanted to go see you but—”

  She didn’t want to do this. A repeat of the last conversation. She couldn’t do this. But you know what? She was going to do something else. Work with what she had. She was in love with Axel Dawson. He was the man for her. He wasn’t ready to see that, fine. But he’d given her what she needed to know: he hadn’t meant to fall for her. But had.

  “Do you have to go into town?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’d like to visit the next address on my dad’s list. But I know I don’t want to do it alone. And by alone, I mean specifically without you, Sadie. You’re really good moral support.”

  He wanted to be with her. He needed her. And he had fallen for her. She had the guy right where she wanted him, really. Right?

  Because this was the same guy whose overheard conversation with his sister had ripped her heart in two.

  Who said anything about love?

  No one—which was why she was going to help get him there. The man loved her. She was pretty sure, anyway. Seventy-five percent sure. Axel had been hurt—and by a single mother with a baby—and was protecting himself, maybe without even realizing it. So hell yeah she was going to try.

  “Well, when you put it that way,” she said, taking his arm again. “Of course I’ll go.”

  He looked into her eyes, and she could see relief cross his face. “Good. And thank you.”

  “Let’s not talk about us, okay? Pinkie swear,” she said, holding up her right one.

  That would probably be more of a relief to him. And necessary to giving him some breathing room from any heaviosity. She’d just be today. And that would be enough.

  He held up his left one. “Pinkie swear.”

  They wrapped pinkies.

  A lovely breeze lifted her hair, and she raised her face to the gorgeous sunny weather. She was getting her mojo back where Axel was concerned. She felt more in control of her own destiny instead of allowing him to dictate and decide. She’d do what she could to make him see sense: that she was it for him. And if he didn’t? As Mom and Aunt Tabby and Gram and Great-Gram would say: his flipping loss.

  Of course, she’d be brokenhearted and sobbing for three days, but she’d know she’d tried, that she’d put herself out there for the future she wanted.

  “So guess who the latest ranch romance is,” Sadie said. “You will never believe this.”

  “Your aunt Tabby and Cowboy Joe?” he asked.

  She gave him a gentle sock in the arm. “How did you know? It’s brand-new. They’ve been on three dates in three days!”

  “That’s exactly how I do know. I saw them walking arm in arm by the creek, then feeding each other ice cream during off-hours in the caf yesterday, and a few hours ago, I saw them kissing goodbye behind your cabin.”

  Sadie grinned. “Whodathunk you could go to a family reunion and fall in love?” She almost choked the moment she realized what she’d said.

  “I’m happy for them,” he said. “Cowboy Joe is a great person. I’ve known him a long, long time.” He pointed up ahead at his buggy, parked near the petting zoo. “There are the dancing alpacas. I mean, they’re standing still but now when I look at them, I imagine them doing the Macarena.”

  She smiled and looked at them, the two furry beasts standing so close to each other, their heads over the fence. Did he have to reference their night together? The wine that had helped lead to that killer kiss and everything else that had happened?

  He must have caught the shift in her expression because he quickly added, “Sorry.”

  Channel Taylor Swift and shake it off, she told herself. “So,” she began as they got into the buggy, “where are we headed?”

  “An isolated ranch ten miles or so from here. The Hurley place. I don’t know who they are or what connection my dad might have to them. Noah and Daisy didn’t either.”

  They drove in silence, which she appreciated, enjoying the breeze through the half-open windows and the views of farmland. As they turned up the long drive for the Hurley ranch, Sadie could see up ahead that the house was not in great condition. The gray barn was peeling and there didn’t seem to be any animals. Maybe it wasn’t a working ranch.

  As Axel pulled up to the house, a middle-aged man came out. He wore jeans and a cowboy hat.

  “Who are you?” the man asked.

  “My name is Axel Dawson and—”

  A huge grin broke out on the man’s face. “Dawson? Why didn’t you start with that?” He held out his hand. “You one of Bo’s kids? I know he had a lot of ’em.”

  “Smack in the middle of six.” He turned to Sadie. “This is Sadie Winston.”

  The man nodded at her. “I was real sorry to hear he passed. We were away and missed the funeral. We owe everything to Bo Dawson,” he said, gesturing with his chin toward the house. “I’m Matt Hurley. I live here with my wife, Sue. Our two kids are grown and off on their own, thanks to Bo.”

  Axel did a double take at that. “Thanks to Bo?”

  “Up until about a year ago, I used to drink heavily. Bo helped me out a time or two, brought me home, got me in bed. My wife threatened to leave me. Bo got me to quit, gave me a lot of pamphlets to read, took me to meetings. I cleaned up my act because of him.”

  “Wait. My father? He was drunk
himself eighty percent of the time.”

  “He got worse toward the end, I guess,” Matt said. “No one knew he was dying. He kept that a secret. I think he drank more then. But he’d said his kids were mad at him and wanted him to stop and so he tried and said we’d do it together. And he got me to stop. I thought he stopped, too. He said nothing was more important than family. Certainly not a bottle of Jack Daniel’s or cheap beer.”

  Sadie squeezed Axel’s hand. Every time she learned more about his dad, she heard something that made him sound like the hero he must have taught Axel to be. Not perfect. Far from it. He’d done his share of damage. But he’d done good, too.

  Matt took off his hat and held it to his chest, as if in honor of Bo. “If it weren’t for Bo Dawson, my two boys wouldn’t be speaking to me right now. My wife would be married to someone else. Your dad saved my hide.”

  Axel put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Thanks for telling me. It’s nice to know.”

  “Why’d you come by, anyway?” Matt asked.

  Axel showed him the list of addresses. “My dad left this for me. No annotations, nothing. Just the addresses. He must have wanted me to know about you and maybe to check in.”

  “Stop by anytime and bring your girlfriend,” Matt said, smiling at her. “Any kid of Bo Dawson is family to me and Sue.”

  We’re actually engaged, Sadie almost said.

  Matt hugged them both and headed back inside. For a few moments, she and Axel just stood and looked at the house, at the barn, and Sadie could imagine he was thinking of his dad walking up those steps, helping someone out, doing for Matt what he wouldn’t let anyone do for him.

  Finally, Axel took her hand as they walked to the SUV. She could hold his hand forever.

  “He wanted me to know he was a good person, in case I’d forgotten,” Axel said, opening the passenger door for her. “That’s what the list of addresses is about.”

  Sadie nodded. “Looks that way.”